Maudire La Lune
by Vertigo Kitsune
Summary: 17 yearold Rin, just an everyday average human student gets sucked into a gateway and finds out she’s gifted with hidden talents and now is being hunted unknowingly, by a powerful organization, and Naraku, the charismatic, shadowy blood lusting evangelist
1. Prelude

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha and its character's do not belong to me, although I wish it did…so I could give it a way better ending. No offence Rumiko Takahashi. The story however does.

**Author's note:** **The story takes place in a downcast society in which demons are dominant and humans are enslaved. The events take place in a world that resembles feudal Japan, but in the apocalyptic future. Warning this story contains Graphic violence, lots of gore, sexual content, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, rape, and further adult content! Please leave comments and or reviews if you wish.**

**Important note: Inuyasha Characters that have not appeared in the final episodes of the show will appear in this story; this is including Naraku's ninth and perhaps final offspring Byakuya and Akago's life puppet Moryomaru.**

**Story Summary:** While on her way to school, on a fateful day a rift in time crosses the path of a powerful demon and a very peculiar human who exploits a deadly ability that could shatter the foundations of existence. Sesshomaru is willing to do anything it takes to discover the truth. But someone doesn't want that, they want to unleash a frightening vision of the dark-side of our well lighted world. A secret that will show what truly lies beyond all sight and has been guarded for two hundred years. A place where demons are potential saviors and the future of mankind is already wrapped in the ashes of a forsaken hell. These secrets push where even the perfect fear to tread. A prophecy is under-way can Sesshomaru face his destiny? Lose all sanity? Or will all be lost in the end?

**Pairings:** Sess/Rin, Kagome/Inu, Miroku/Sango, Shippou/OOC, Naraku/Kanna, Naraku/Kagura, Hakudoushi/Kanna, and others

**P**relude

"_Something so beautiful, and fragile when hurt can be acrimonious and leave a bittersweet taste"_

**O**nce…

**U**pon…

**A**…

**D**eath, the driving force of the most powerful entity's life hung by a glimmering cord of twine. How ironic to see so much blood and yet doubt he possessed none. He mused the streaming light of the shining way ahead. Was he streaming towards it? Or vice versa? His mind wondered off into scarce thoughts in a detached way. Inner orbs of slowly mutable auburn focused inwardly and peered through the window of his soul. His eyes seeing a hazed darkness that fanned out in a sepia toned silhouette.

He lay there, how long had it been now? Days…weeks…months, maybe even years if he really thought about it. A crimson stain was sneered like a crude and wicked drawn cut into the freshly fallen snow. Silver tresses were sprawled, enveloping him in a blanket of whispering silk. How could it end like this? How could he let it end like this? A slow smirk laced his lips as always, that same enigmatic smirk he had before drawing the sword. Now ironically he held it in his own demise. His amber optics swerved, slowly upon gaining his vision again he took a gulp of icy air. A dark…almost malevolent shadow loomed upon him, darkly furrowed brows raised in confusion as a nasty cruel curved tip of naked metal that had gently graced the column of his bare throat. The smirk slowly faded into a dark façade of a scowl.

"How foolish, a cold heart swayed by the idled brains of a mere mortal. You are such a hypocrite." That sly oiled up tone caressed the wind as if ravishing it in a filthy disgusting way. A slow dark figure eased into view, dark as the day that hell had opened up beneath the earth. "Don't worry Sesshomaru, it will be quick and painful. You'll get to see your comrades soon enough." Dancing orbs that blazed like simmering coals glowered through the heavy blustery weather. The sword hovered teasingly above, then a swift cut echoed out into the air.

"I'll see you in hell." Sesshomaru seethed back through gritted fangs, his voice was dark and deep like the sound of a cord struck upon a bass. A smear of crimson flashed a brilliant shade of rogue, like a bucket of fresh red paint thrown across white walls. The sound of thrown liquid cut through the swift silence.

**O**nce…a long time ago…

**I**t…would have been tangible…

**I**t would have been

**D**ifferent…

Drenched dark curls sagged heavily against the wooden floors; two lithe forms sat a close proximity away. Cold beady eyes were staring vacantly up at the ceiling. "More!" A harshly intoned voice cut through the thickly lathered silence. The tallest of the shadowed figures stood, soft padded steps echoed in the barely furnished room. An audible clanking thudded against the floor as a great weight was moved and hoisted, adding to the strain. "Enough." The harsh cold voice snapped brutally, and soon another spoke. **"You're the most disgusting thing I have ever seen, out of my sight!"** obeying the form slowly backed away. A crooked oily smile came upon the figure's pursed lips. **"Raise." **Over shoulders, finally above the chest and pushed up with ease. **"Kanna, my flesh…come here."** The voice soon purred. The second shadowed figure walked forth, her shoulder length tresses of silver still reflected even though swathed in pure darkness.

"Yes Master?" The dead and flat tone interjected. Clank. The weight came down with a heavy thud. **"Little bitch come here!" **The more hardened voice seethed darkly, a powerfully gnarled pale hand shot out from the darkness. It gripped the still form of the young girl about her slender pale throat and lowered her downwards. A tie could be heard unfastening…and then silence. Soon, the quiet was interrupted by the sound of gagging and muted protests. An echoing sound of suctioning…

The second form watched, beady crimson orbs fluttering in the darkness. "Kagura." The taller form was called upon, her posture and vision swerved to accommodate her master into full view. "Yes Naraku?" Before she could react, a hooked curved scythe-like digit rested on the column of her throat. A gleaming of armored silver. A struggling gasp for air heaved, seemingly coming from the floor. **"Kagura…look at me." **The darker voice now took over once more. Kagura refused to, looking away her crimson orbs narrowed in vulnerability. "Damn you…" Kagura gripped her silken robes, a very thin fabric barely to cover her more intimate parts. "Damn you…" Another choking gasp, almost pleading.

"**Bitch! I said look at me, I have never witnessed a flesh as defiling as you, now look at me!"** The voice roared, a gnarled hand tightened its clawed digits about Kanna's bobbing head. **"I'll show you! Remove my garments."** When Kagura hesitated the second more, a smoother voice answered silkily. "Do it Kagura, undo my things." The slippery voice grated on her like a lie being told to a toddler. Kagura pulled it away and swallowed audibly, she stepped back. Those blood red beady orbs watching her.

Naraku's form rolled over, the garments slipping from his back. A shaken Kanna sat, wiping her mouth and spitting vigorously. Kagura gulped her throat dry. She was having trouble taking in the sight. "Do you see it Kagura? Do you see the spider's eyes?" Naraku's silky voice whispered over his shoulders. Twin beady red eyes stared darkly from the spider mark's head. Almost at once it was as if she had just seen its fangs open up from the lower of his back and snap at her. The marred marking of the spider demon's face was reflected as it truly was…barely recognizable as a corrupted version of its true self, already gruesome features-was wizened with age, leprous, oozing, swollen, and rotted from accumulation of decades of evil debauchery. It was a symphony of horrors wrapped in an approximation of a parasitic human form, carrying the weight of far more age and poison and decrepitude that any one person or demon could even endure. The demon was transfixed onto Naraku's flesh by the true appearance of his very soul. Kagura's mind's eye widened in horror. The spider tattoo slithering over and under Naraku's flesh. It spoke to her.

She could see her inevitable doom. Seeing her own form, Naraku clutching her heart. Her body gasping, writhing, screaming, while her body aged and rotted, until she took on the precise appearance of her trapped reflection-its degeneration, the cracked and peeling texture caught in the grips of near death. Soon the rest of her corpse withered, shriveled, and finally died as nothing more than a twisted mummy.

Kagura finally had the courage to look away, her face resolute. She swallowed. **"Now! Say it bitch, say you are a whore!"** The voice from Naraku's backside hissed. Kagura closed her eyes, the sharp pained built in her gut she could feel the bile rise. "I'm a whore…" Kagura tried to hold back that choking sobs, to not allow him to see her pain for his own sadistic pleasures.

"Damn you Naraku…" Kagura whispered, her lips quivering in feverous hesitation.

Naraku smiled and rolled over again onto his hip. "That's a dear…Kagura my flesh," Naraku drawled sweetly. Those cold dark beady eyes glowered in the darkness. **"Lift."** The weights came up, muscles tensing. Clank. Clunk. Overhead with ease. **"Stupid bitch."** A heavy thud crashing to the floorboards and then darkness.

Byakuya smiled tensely and aligned another thickly lathered stream of indigo eyeliner over his thin lids. His ruby pink lips pursed into a rather innocent smile as he admired himself in the mirror. Eyes dancing with mirth, he turned to look up the steps of the molding stairwell, watching Kagura descend…her face sullen and seemingly drained of any life. "Kagura my love, what seems to be ailing you?" His drawling sweet voice held a hint of amusement. For all Kagura cared he was probably laughing at her deep down. "Byakuya, you wretch get the fuck out of my business." Byakuya raised his hands in surrender. "Kagura, no need to get all defensive, I was merely asking what was wrong. But it seems you have a stick too far shoved up your ass to even be respectful …" His last words trailed in a sharp undertone, this meant that the conversation had become most serious. Kagura knew she'd better watch what she said around him.

She had been surprised that Byakuya had survived this long, being the latest offspring to be birthed from their master's flesh; if Byakuya could be described he would have been mistaken for her identical twin if not dressed in male clothes. He had long black hair that came to the back of his neck, also ruby red eyes the same as her own. Not to mention that both of their features looked exactly the same, right down to those ruby lips. But there was one thing that separated the two of them, he was absolutely and completely loyal to Naraku and her…she desired freedom. Not only so, but he had picked up Naraku's distrust for his subordinates. They both didn't trust one another, lest either of them tried to back stab the other.

However, Kagura didn't trust him one bit. She'd rather be rolling over in a grave beside her brother Goshinki rather than to occupy the same room with this brainless yet completely mysterious buffoon. Further more he was a nuisance either way and grated on her every last nerve.

Glaring at one another with eyes that could kill, both Kagura and Byakuya stared daggers into one another. The sound of slow footsteps cut through the lingering silence. Both Kagura and Byakuya turned to look upon the face of a distraught looking Hakudoushi.

Stepping down, the albino white child didn't even press them with his usually cocky remarks or quick get backs. Instead, he walked past the both of them causing heads to turn in unison at his very unnatural behavior. "Hey, Haku khun." Byakuya looked towards his older brother, this of course only phased Byakuya a little as seeing Hakudoushi looked like a mere child compared to his fully grown male stature.

What made it far worse was that Byakuya was the so called "Baby" of the family. Hakudoushi raised his pike upon one shoulder and stared off to the side, his glance avoiding the eyes of his siblings. Kagura tapped her bone fan against her ruby lips. They then were startled from the sound of crashing objects and thrown furniture. The room became quietly still except for the echoing shriek. Hakudoushi lowered his gaze and glared forwards, "Kagura…Byakuya…I'm going." Hakudoushi slowly walked past the two siblings and never looked back.

Kagura was now biting the tipped end of her bone fan, her ruby red eyes studying Hakudoushi's retreating back. Kagura's mind fluttered with only one lingering thought.

'_Hakudoushi…you love Kanna…don't you?'_


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One:** Just Like Routine

A sound of water being splashed upon pavement echoed to the ears of some, the crowded tavern did nothing to stop the hustle and bustle of business. "Shit! You fucking drunk!" A rather deterred looking man stood, his hands fisted and poised in absolute rage on his hips. "Fuck! You fucking vomited…all fucking over me!" The man was earning a rather amused crowd, his golden orbs seemed mainly focused on the drunk scrambling to clutch his attire while groveling at his feet, than the

over-enthusiastic crowd eager to see bloodshed.

"Now Inuyasha, let's be civil…we don't want to cause a scene." A rather comically rueful looking young man clutched his comrade by the shoulders, his response came out in a sing-song voice directed to cool his ire. "Civil my ass, Miroku! Mushin just puked all the fuck over me and you expect me to be okay with that! I say hell no!" The rather infuriated man rolled up his sleeves and brandished a very reddened fist, which if observed at close range, one would deem his veins were on their last leg and at a bursting point.

"Inuyasha sit!" The youth was halted in his peaked fury to only witness his face colliding with the wooden floorboards, this of course was greeted by the boisterous uproar of laughter from all around the bar. No doubt this was an everyday thing, strictly routine. The man who was obviously punished for his outburst, managed to pull himself together and only managed to retort with a glowering scowl and clutching a broken nose which bleed profusely. "Damn you Kagome…" He then muttered a few profound words beneath his breath and something about "disgusting wench and little bitch and something of how he managed to put up with her trifling ass".

The young man beside him who was referred to as Miroku was being tethered with the blame of allowing his comrade to make a scene in the busy tavern, the young woman of course, was not making matters any better. In fact she placed their situation a ten fold greater embarrassment to the three of them. The other occupants of the bar laughed in merriment, they had obviously been waiting all day for something that occurred exactly at three in the after noon past thirty minutes, and before Mushin drank himself into a stupor.

Strictly Routine.

Inuyasha had taken up residence as a worker in the bar, the owner Mushin had gladly welcomed him although knowing Inuyasha being a half demon. This was because Mushin's young apprentice Miroku was also a demon, demons had been supposedly extinct for hundreds and thousands of years. All had heard the tale of how the demons, feeling they were being over populated by the mass growing populace of humans protected their numbers by having a great being, someone by the title of the **Great Inu no Taisho** place a veil. The veil, was a powerful barrier warped between the human and supernatural worlds…to protect humans from seeing past what they only saw. Inuyasha and Miroku had crossed through the veil to experience the human world and of course freedom from Naraku's aristocratic rule.

Naraku, according to Miroku, had taken his place as leader of all demons after the Inu no Taisho's death, but he was a bad omen and almost every demon knew it. Why Abi hime followed him was beyond anyone's thoughts. He deceived a living Buddha it was told, into creating a barrier for the veil that was so holy, that it would purify and cleanse any _yōkai_ that had left the veil's seclusion when they tried to come close to it, literally casting out those who abandoned the demon plane as traitors. The only said person it was that Naraku clearly wanted out for good was the leader of western youkia by the name of Sesshomaru, the Inu no Taisho's closest descendent. Also said to be the only person Naraku avoided confrontation with from rumors by other demons. Sesshomaru, or so it was said, visited into the human territory frequently his only excuse was that part of his borders spanned past the veil's markers and allowed him to cross much to Abi hime and the nobles' detest. Naraku made sure to it that he would soon gain full control of all the nobilities' affairs.

Soon, so caught up were they that they decided to stay, masking their true identities and hiding their demon forms. Inuyasha claimed to be a descendent from the Inu no Taisho while Miroku fixated himself with the title as "friend". Over time, only people who visited the bar frequently knew of Inuyasha and Miroku's true identities, also Inuyasha held the favor of the human waitress Kagome who worked part time at the tavern, as well as the small town's priestess. Luckily the nobles knew not that demons resided in their cities lest they come armed to the teeth. The most feared noble was the one they called Abi hime, who in fact being the only demon noble had been (through corrupted politics and with the help of a well known noble named by Onigumo who's cruel schemes and sneaky ways of getting around the diplomatic quota) got her to reign head of the nobles' commanding brigade of keeping demons "out" and by out it didn't mean exile. It meant permanent eradication.

Abi hime had kept strict guard of each nobles' territorial cities, having each day at the tenth of the hour have a horde of armed demon guards in lines fielding fifty wide and fifty long patrol the city streets, by then the entire town's populace was on curfew.

Just like routine.

"Damn it Inuyasha! I am so tired of your profanity and attitude!" Kagome furiously interjected. "And you Miroku, I'm fed up with you allowing Mushin to drink so much! Gods, I can't believe you two!"

Miroku felt as if his ego had down sized by no small bit, not only so but also the fact that he was getting talked down to by a woman. Not to say it didn't happen often, it was just not on this degree. He felt weak…and stripped of his manhood.

Inuyasha, draped in crimson clothes wrapped into an old Gi like fashion with his long white hair with deep rust silver highlights, golden orbs, and tanned features. Along his cheeks were ragged indigo stripes and lining his lids was the same color eyeliner. Small perched white dog ears, pointed at the tips made him look more inhuman when not passing as a human. Aside from Inuyasha, Miroku did however contrast a bit to his friend. Miroku was a dog youkia as well with long silver tresses featuring light purple highlights and hair tied into a ponytail going down his back. He also had one neat dark purple stripe across both cheeks, golden orbs that shimmered a hue of silver and indigo. His ears were both slightly pointed with golden looped earrings to decor them, his eyes held a soft deep jade eyeliner and draped in dark indigo clothes with white wispy cloud patterns. But what made him so much different from Inuyasha himself was a deep jade kanji symbol standing for "cursed" upon his forehead, perhaps a symbolic notion of his parentage and clan.

Once, Kagome had questioned about the kanji symbol. Miroku had simply stated that **"all the males of his family had been branded with the symbol as a notion of their family curse"**, whom Naraku had placed upon his great grandfather for his…disobedience. He wouldn't tell her no more than that, but Kagome knew he was only telling half the story or less than he let on. He never exactly told her also why he kept a sacred rosary wrapped about his right hand either, only that he never removed it.

If one were to see the two demons only once, they would have revered to them as nobles.

But now…as the argument ensued, Inuyasha lay casually back against the concrete wall and smirked, obviously he was being entertained by the bickering, this left him out of the picture. Today was nothing special…just a regular boring day.

That's when the doors burst open, flooding into the bar, numerous hooded soldiers crawled out of every bar opening like termites crawling through woodwork. They surrounded the entire company of the bar and up held vicious looking halberds and great shields. Inuyasha and Miroku soon were back to back, Kagome was huddled closely to Inuyasha's hip. Inuyasha immediately knew they were no ordinary swat team but no doubt foot soldiers of Abi-hime, brandishing the mark of a great pair of white wings with ivory rose thorns crossed around them; stamped upon their armored breasts. Abi hime's militia was well known and also heard to be very dangerous.

Mushin in his inebriated drunk state was too dumb to even assess the situation. He blinked looking all about him and laughed before downing the contents of another liquor gourd. "Where's tha part-ay at!" He bellowed. He let out a half hearted fart and rolled over, not caring to fan but let his foul wreaking stench fill the air.

"Get this disgusting turd out of my sight!"

"Yes Captain!"

Inuyasha smirked, his claws cracked slightly. _'Alright, this is what I'm talking about…finally some action!'_ Inuyasha directed his eyes to Kagome and nodded, he hoped they would await his signal. "Keh! Only lap dogs of Abi-hime! Get outta here!" He roared, his claws extended and flew out with an exaggerated curl of flexed knuckles. "Iron claw reaver soul stealer!" he laid a very serious infliction upon the head captain's facial guard mask, the soldier stepped back stumbling. And then through the shaded helmet guard watched him with eyes of repulsive shock.

"He's a demon, boys we got ourselves a live one."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed in shock to his retaliation.

"Just shut up and let me protect you, bitch!"

Miroku sighed and then twirled a piece of broken wood he acquired from a once standing chair and forcefully shattered one soldier's already mistreated nose. "Inuyasha you take those to the left, I've got the rear covered!" Inuyasha smirked, his feet kicking and propelling his form off the wall so that he could drop kick an unsuspecting armored guard in his nether parts. "I'm on it! Don't have to tell me twice!" Inuyasha smirked and continued his onslaught of deadly combatants against his feeble unsuspecting opponents.

"This is just like routine!" Miroku huskily grunted as he hefted a large chair at one guard while Kagome…using her purse, made quick work of Mushin peeping up her skirt. "You pervert!" Inuyasha then tripped over Mushin's sprawled out leg but barely regained himself as a soldier thwacked by Miroku fell before him. He used this as a leverage and regained his posture. "Ya damn straight Miroku…" And how Inuyasha hated routine.

**Author's Note: Well trying to get this story on the road, sorry this chapter was so short but I really wanted to introduce Inu and Kagome. Don't worry the rest of the cast will come to play an important portion in this part too. So much action is jam into this story, mmmm juicy. Any who, the next few chapters will finally be pushing this story along, so stay tuned! Any questions or comments are welcomed! **


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two: **The Fox and The Wolf Whose Claws Burn Bright

"_Because one's eyes are so accustomed to perfection, flaws that become visible seem to leave an aspiration for the unknown."_

Word spread fast, not only in the demon communities but the hanyou ones as well. The poorer human's no doubt already were aware. But so did the nobles who preceded into everyone else's business. Not that he cared much…soon, it approached the ears of a notoriously known demon. The leaves themselves seemed to billow wildly almost to emphasize the words on the wind and the coming news.

Twitch…twitch twitch.

"Keh! Pathetic…those demons just want to lure Abi-hime right to my borders. What the hell are they up too!" Many a nine tails twitching again, scowling dark brows lowered to reveal a very seriously carved face, curling red locks of rich honey and orange paraded about strongly chiseled cheekbones and high steel clamped jaws. "And Kouga…that mangy wolf…" A rather uncaused looking fox demon stood fuming, his slit eyes of emerald green glowed as the mid-day sun streaked through the skies. It seemed as if it were being cradled in the clouds. Their opaque visage soon desaturated to clusters of muted color. **_'There was nothing as beautiful and peaceful as this sunset…but this desolate apocalypse is far from heaven and more like closer to hell.'_** The fox demon's musings were pushed aside as he shuffled beneath a golden pelt draped over both shoulders that cascaded in golden platinum curls below his fox-like heels. He had never finished his brooding on events gone by for the fox demon was interrupted by a great gust of wind. The towering collision of sediments and debris clashed violently and diminished. Kouga landed viciously onto the earth, clothed in stolen pelts of wolf hide, a white tiger's stripped pelt pulled over his left shoulder and across diagonally over his right hip making him look more prince like than usual...

"Where did you get that tiger's pelt? Wait…never mind don't answer that. Let me guess…you stole it just like you did the katana?" Shippou's hard voice grated on him with a hint of suspicion laced into it.

The usual smirk came over Kouga's face as he chuckled and gave his fellow canine cousin a wicked grin. "Hey bush tail," Slapping him on the back, he then directed his attention to the cliff edge. "What was that about a mangy wolf eh?" Kouga gave a cocky grin and glared over the fellow canine demon's shoulder. Shippou sighed and raised two very hardened yet powerful clawed hands to his temples and rubbed them in frustration. Shippou could already feel a heated argument broiling beneath the surface. "Get lost, feces butt!" he snarled, Kouga then made a face he was absolutely appalled. When the fox demon of course had finally grown tired of being in the wolf's presence he then excused himself, but Kouga then started the fight now, it was no turning back now lest one's pride be scared. Kouga then brushed past Shippou, but not before slamming his shoulder into his; only to receive a cruel list of profound languages under his breath. "Well someone certainly picked up mutt face's attitude." Kouga drawled absent-mindedly. Shippou paused mid step and glared over his shoulder, his emerald green optics now flooded with a crimson color. Dark golden-orange stripes streaking their way raggedly over his high cheek bones.

"What was that you dirty wolf?"

"Looking for a fight strawberry blonde fox hound!"

"Go sniff someone else's butt!"

"Oh yeah that not what your mother said last night!"

"Don't you dare talk about my mother!"

"Mangy wolf!"

"bush tailed kitsune!"

"Feces eating jerk!"

"Rabies carrier!"

"Crotch licker!"

"Your father!"

"Your mother, wolf!"

"Bite me!"

Soon before the argument could ensue they were interrupted by the form of a youth coming through the smog before them. The fox demon pushed his clawed hands forwards over Kouga's mouth only to receive muffled out swears that were issued as he refused to shut up. "Shhh! Quiet you idiot. Someone's coming!" Shippou hissed, he pulled up his claws, they cracked slightly making the sound more sickening in the deathly still silence.

Kouga's eyes widened. "Shippou, the veil protects us from being seen by humans! How is that fucking possible!" He growled, Shippou shook his head. "Well the veil must be weakening…I've heard rumors of late, some humans are starting to remember. They have a sight, the sight that sees through the veil and into our world. If the nobles become aware of this…bad things could happen. There's only one human who's been allowed to exist in our world beyond the veil that is Kagome." Kouga nodded quietly.

Slowly the form continued on its way. Walking towards him like a ghastly shade the form gazed blankly past him and continued to walk forth, it seemed to Shippou that the veil's barrier was slightly weakening her "vision" to see into the veil, so her form looked ghastly and she could barely see them. Shippou could clearly make out that it was female. He took a step forth and then it seemed as if the breath he were to exhale caught in his throat.

A naked female fell forth and fell into his arms. She had long wavy curled tresses of dark ebon; there were traces of emeralds and hued aquamarines. Her face was well defined and pointed at the chin. The only thing that was more distracting was that she was completely unclothed. Shippou had to let go of Kouga so that he could catch the young slip of a woman-child as she stumbled into his arms.

Kouga leaned over his shoulders, his cheeks stained with a ruby blush at the current scene unfolding before his eyes. "It's a woman…" Kouga murmured deafly. Shippou looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "No Shit! Of course it's a woman. The thing I'm shocked about is how a naked girl got this far to a place like this!" Then, as Kouga continued to gawk unceremoniously he fixed him with a blank glare. "Besides…aren't you mated to Ayame?" Kouga nodded in agreement…all the while keeping an intent gaze of the unconscious woman's posterior. "She has a nice ass I'll give her that much." Kouga grinned nodding. "Shut your fucking mouth wolf breath, haven't you ever heard of modesty?" Shippou undid the red fur cloak from his shoulders. She had the look of a pixie, with fine elegant raven black hair that shimmered dark purple in the sunlight, and when she finally had opened her eyes…they saw into him. Laughing eyes the color of heather.

Draping the woman-child in it he picked her up in his arms and clutched her safely in his embrace. The girl slowly stirred and whimpered in protest, as she awoke moments later in a grassy field. She stared into two pairs of eyes, one a sky blue and the other an emerald green. The young woman sat up and stared forlornly over a smoldering camp fire.

"Good…your awake." A deep rumbling voice that sounded like milk and honey personified drifted her way, sending a course shiver up her spine. And it wasn't from the cold. The girl stirred once more, finding her nude form clothed in a robe of rich turquoise and draped in two downy fur pelts of auburn and gold. Her cheeks immediately flushed a bright shade of rose as she looked at the fox demon who sat from the campfire across her vision. There were no words to describe his handsome features only that they were beautiful, very boyish but in an almost immortal child-like way.

He had long unruly pure red tresses streaking with golden strands running through it that fell gracefully over his shoulders and hung in a high top knot ponytail; He wore no garments over his upper torso, and looking down she rationalized she was the one donning them at the very moment to protect her modesty. He only had about his waist a very long silk sash that was worn something like a skirt, but obviously split into separate leggings for him to stride easily with grace. Richly made robes of pure gold silk with patterns of fiery red maple leaves and blushing orange phoenix plumes. Around his neck, a golden collar studded with rubies and tiger's eye laid; twenty phoenix tails fell elegantly across his chest.

He didn't look like a lord or noble but no doubt he had worked his way up to his personified status.

The girl in pure awe and fascination just gawked, and then remembering herself became frightened that he might reprimand her, she scuttled half way under the safe confines of warm downy fur and peered out to glance at him from the cover. He did not move but only sat up and sighed as he looked in her direction. He looked her over, she was just a slip of a woman-child, seventeen…eighteen in the least he presumed.

"Who are you?" His deep voice rumbled out of his chest casually, as if talking to an old friend long forgotten. The girl flushed deeper and looked rather flustered. "My name if Yuuki." Her voice was fragile, almost shy. What kind of demon asked what your name was! Any who she definitely was nowhere in the town square, she had been running after two bandits, one a lanky skinny woman named Mizu and a rather large man named Gen tried to ambush her, the man Gen had tried to rape her while Mizu had tried to slit her throat, she was a run away noble so her fine clothes and adornments had intrigued the bandits to no end. Running for dear life she pleaded to Kami to save her life, next thing she knew she was wandering into a smog covered road. Obviously having no clue to where she was headed but just glad she was safe.

**Shippou's POV**

'_Yuuki…snow, what a suitable name for one so pale skinned, she looks so withdrawn. This mortal obviously had led a pampered life, she must be a noble. I don't see her flesh nor hands marred wounded nor scarred with markings. She's pretty…well as far as human standards go. I wonder how she got past Naraku's holy barrier…the veil must be weakened. I'll have to come up with a plan on how to keep her hidden from Abi hime's men and Naraku so that she can return to the human world…lest she be killed. And she keeps glaring at me! Damn it woman stop gawking…shit, why do I feel this heat so far below. Keep the kitsune restrained Shippou…I'm under control…I'm under control, I'm under control, I'm under control. There…all under control, damn she's still staring. Wait…is that arousal I smell! Oh god this human is becoming infatuated with me. Damn it all, it can't get any worse!.'_

The group was interrupted, well hardly because of the hanging silence by Kouga's constant snarling. Then, at that very moment a path of thick and dense foliage was cleared as a rather over sized rat demon stalked forth. It had a bulbous belly and fierce bulging eyes that seemed to pop out of its sockets.

In tow were many of Abi-hime's foot soldiers. The over gluttonous rat demon stepped forth, his great yellowed eyes red with pure hatred and malice. " These plains of the north-east are now Abi-hime's territory in order of Onigumo…" Shippou slowly stood and gripped the sheathed blade upon his back and stood in a protective stance over Yuuki. "What if we don't want to." Shippou drawled, his face a blank stare, many demons often said he had Sesshomaru's narrow-minded detached attitude, Kouga merely called it a stage of adolescence. **"Then die!"** Like a snake, his pink tail coiled itself up, then without warning he lashed it out at Shippou first. His sharp fangs extended reaching out for their intended target. Shippou dodged and cleared room for Kouga's powerful drop kick, reeling to one side he drew his sword back and moved out of the way before the great rat striked again.

"Come on woman move!" Shippou half-heartedly growled, gripping the girl by her wrist he staggered to one side trying to avoid the pummeling halberds of Abi-hime's soldiers.

Meanwhile Kouga was having his own problems.

**Kouga's POV**

'_Shit' that fat bastard just keeps coming. Damn fox, worrying about that mortal. No matter how much I try the rat is pretty quick for a butterball. Dammit all, I can't move. It seems that my joints in my ankles have dislocated and twisted in the other direction. Shit why do my legs have to fail me now! Hopefully the kitsune can come up with a plan.'_

Shippou staggered from the halberd that had made a collision in his side hip, the pain was excruciating. His emerald eyes glowered a faint blood red. The fight had become deadly serious and he now eyed Kouga down for the count. Baring his fangs they etched from his jaws with a high pitched screech as his face took on a more animalistic appearance. His fangs extended past his lower lip, he had already placed the human girl behind him. Well…more like dropped her. Jyaki flaring like an emerald flame, his aura seeped off of him making him look more earthreal. Snarling, he brought his clawed hand upwards, Yuuki backpedaled away as she stared in slight awe and horrific admiration as the fox demon before her began to transform. His hair was released from its high ponytail and wavered about as if he had gone below the surface of a lake, deep low growls combined with his own demonic monotone echoed darkly amongst the heat of battle.

"Grrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…" Shippou's deep voice took on a darker pitch as his growl extended, his emerald aura began swirling around him with golden wispy clouds and streams of blue flames.

The rat slowly turned around, its molding bitten pink tail slashed forwards and tried to trip him up, Shippou dodged and then recovered as his dark emerald aura looked as if he were dancing in green mists while he twirled his blade. The rat demon leapt back and opened its mouth, regurgitating hundreds of demons from his gullet. Shippou, with graceful twirls, slashes, swift parries, and lunges made short work of the lesser demons while charging forwards into the fray and getting ready to kill the rat youkia. The rat demon smiled a yellowing fanged grin and lashed out a tail, hoisting Shippou off the ground, holding him seven feet in the air. Not truly knowing Shippou's true intentions.

**Kouga's POV**

'_Got damn it! What does that little fox runt think he's doing, charging head first into a fight like that, he's being way too showy and fancy with his sword work! Show off! Damn it, now he's got himself caught…wait a minute! He planned it all along! Way to go bush tail, that a boy. The kid's got brains I'll give em that much, letting himself get caught to get closer to the enemy.'_

"You are a weak creature. Ye has fought like a coward, I am disappointed for I was looking for more worthy adversary." The rat hissed, flicking his curled snake like tongue. Shippou's blood red eyes narrowed into deathly slits and glowered with the icy blue hue of dilated pupils.

"Your all talk." Shippou smirked and freed his clawed hand, its claws aglow with bright azure blue flames.

"Fox fire claw!" He plunged his claws forwards and let go and watched as the flames licked spiraling in dizzying clouds which flew rapidly through the air and become engulfed in a swirl of wind, cutting through the still night like a sharp dagger. Before the rat demon could even act, the claws pierced through his skull, shattering bone and brain inside; the force was so powerful that Shippou's claws came through the other end of the demon's skull forcing all the entrails to fly out.

The look on the demon's face before death was of a horrific surprise, darkness covered his eyes, as he would never rise again. Freeing his hand and flicking the blood so that his claws resumed their pink white coat, Shippou quickly ran towards Kouga's side and helped the Ookami stand.

"Not yet! Something's wrong, it's not right." Kouga narrowed his eyes, his arm over Shippou's lean powerful shoulders. Gazing about the clearing it seemed as if

Abi-hime's troops had deserted the area, all that was left was the rat demon's corpse which slowly began to move.

Suddenly the rat demon's body began to pulsate with an unnatural aura, the remains of it's brains and split skull began to revive and come back together. The human girl stood in shock and looked over at Kouga hoping that he would have an explanation. "I smelled something bad about him, whoever this Abi-hime chick is…she's sure stubborn as hell." Kouga muttered. The rat raised a deformed but newly made body and gave a hacking, coughing, laugh. "I am not finished yet. I shall have my revenge!" Lurching forth, head slacked slightly to one side and hung off the side of its spinal cord, it made a sickening sagging sound as it hung off wide shoulders.

"Ha!" Kouga did a full bodied turn and landed a fierce one legged kick to where Shippou's fox fire claw it had impacted. "Poison leaf dagger." Shippou hadn't even moved as it seemed, his form a streak of gold and crimson blurs. Both he and Kouga stood back to back and faced the exact opposite of one another. Both stood with an exaggerated slowness as their enemy stood between them. Kouga stood on one leg, his calve folded under so to not to add pressure to his broken ankle. He crossed his arms smugly. Shippou's poison leaves burned away in a haze of blue smoke. The rat demon gagged. "I don't…understand? How can a mangy wolf…and a lowly fox become so power-f-ful…forgive me…Abi-hime."

Suddenly the rat demon's face, his already gruesome features began to peel away like an acid eating at his flesh. Shippou looked away, his face resolute. The corpse of the rat began to cripple and go into steady convulsions before burning up into a twisting flame, its mummy looking like a charred piece of fire wood. Shippou knew how very gruesome his poison leaf dagger technique was, it was a worse fate than even death itself. He knew all too well the same expression that many beheld after his signature attack.

The human girl just stood there. The two demons' teamwork was superb. "Who are you…" The two canine demon's turned for they had yet to hear her speak till now. "I'm Kouga of the northern mountains." Kouga slumped onto the ground rubbing his injured foot, he then twisted the broken bones back into place so that it could regenerate. Shippou gave a smug look and rubbed a claw across his bare chest and then pulling the top knot loose so that his long tresses pooled in a red river across the grass. "Shippou, of the eastern fox tribe." He seemed more interested in the length of his hair at the moment.

The three did not have long for peace it seemed though. A glowing cloud of flames hovered over the horizon and straight towards their group, Shippou narrowed his eyes, this scent was so familiar. Koug winced standing forcefully onto his injured leg, fists clasped in utter alert to the on coming danger heading their way. Out of human instinct, Yuuki quickly scrambled up and hid behind the wolf demon and peering over his shoulder with unpronounced fear. The cloud decended, long raven hair billowing in the wind and those cold stark unassuming crimson eyes glaring with complete malice burning in them. Rough jagged armor constructed of bleached bone carved into the form of spread wings, ruby and gold tassels hanging from crimson folded robes and ebon sashes.

Those ruby lips parted into a cold smirk.

Shippou stared up at the raven haired woman, his emerald eyes narrowing into cat like slits. "Abi Hime!"


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three:** The Veil That Devours Human Hearts

**T**he city was just as dark and dreary as the apocalyptic worms' nest it sat nestled in. Even then, Rin was aware that she should have been grateful to her benefactor, Kaede, step grandmother to her childhood friend Kohaku…but she wasn't. Instead she felt resentment, for she had no intentions of leaving the confines of her hometown to live in isolated security. No, but now she sat in the back of a metal carriage being drawn by a horse to who knows where. Kaede, upon the notion of hearing Rin's plight had confiscated her from the clutches of a notoriously feared mobster. The man's name was Kagesumo and he led one of the most feared yukuza's in all of Mibo

district, his accomplices included a woman named Mizu who, although very thin and haggard looking the woman held an utmost impressive reputation as a silencer, around these parts "silencers" went about as hit men and killed people involved in government affairs that wouldn't keep quiet. Gen, another subordinate was rumored an escaped convict who made up for his missing half of a brain for unprecedented brawn, it was said once he had ripped a man's head right off of his shoulders with his own bare hands and all because the man asked him "Do you need some help?" Apparently he didn't like people presuming he was dumb in any intentional way. And Kagesumo…he was more dangerous than the rest of them, he killed countless woman and young girls. Not only did he rape them but had intercourse with the bodies as well and saved their bleached bones as souvenirs. He was a sick…sick, sick, man. Rin had no doubts that she might be his next target when he had gotten tired of her, lust filled him, or when the other two weren't looking. It made her stomach crawl now thinking on the past.

The reason for traveling with them? Because as stated before, she had once been an orphan. Her father was a straight up gambler who went over his ears literally speaking in debt. He didn't even know who he was dealing with when he tried to slide money under the table to a close pal and over step Kagesumo and his gang of bandits. Kagesumo was outraged, at this he put up a compromise. If her father couldn't clear the debt in seventy two hours then he was to hand over his wife and only child as compensation. Well, he did willingly out of saving his own ass. But Kagesumo, being Kagesumo was never satisfied, he sent his group of bandits on the day Rin and her mother were supposed to leave. They not only killed her mother and father, but the entire village that they were staying in as well.

Rin had thankfully been with her elder brother when this had occurred, but some rat in the village had sold them out, Kagesumo then had them attack her brother's residence. The fates must have had a dark sense of humor since she yet again managed to escape, but as always something bad always came with the good. Another deal came to pass and Rin had made herself a vital place amongst Kagesumo and his group of bandit thieves. Rumors got around that Kagesumo was trying to quit his "habit" of killing by starting anew, amending his sins…and settling down.

Rin was the main topic of talk. Young, virgin, single, orphaned and trapped under Kagesumo's thumb. Perfect candidate! No doubt she would become his woman if he ever got the chance…or not loathing about with the nearest prostitute in his grimy hands. But yet again the fates intervened and Kaede had gotten a hold of a few inner circles in Kagesumo's turf, amending paper work and accusations brought the crime lord to court and Rin was freed from her plight…only to be shoved into a new one. So here she sat…in the back of a metal carriage, Kaede at her side watching her like a buzzard watched its prey die.

The city of Sakusa was a breeding ground for criminal activity, the nobles who ruled it demanded that all sickly, elderly, deformed, or people who were simply imperfect be placed here. No one argued, no one complained. Sakusa city boarding schools and economy were renowned all over, it was also the richest city along the coast boasting of many historical landmarks. All over the city great statue monuments of dogs towered in marble over each noble house hoisting in their fangs the flags of the prestigious houses. The caste was simple, it went by districts the grey district was the poorest, then came orange, maroon, gold, and then lastly white. Everyone in the city wore a kimono corresponding to their caste, any who violated the caste codes such as eating where a higher caste resided or sitting in a seat reserved for that caste meant horrific punishment. All nobles of the city wore ebon black and a sash for men and a cloak for women with either gold or white according to their caste. Kaede was supposedly head priestess and advisor to a few nobles, she had promised to return with a worthy apprentice of learning her skills and this is where Rin came in. As a priestess you could enter which ever caste you so chose to work for. The boarding school located in the center of Sakusa near Goshinboku was famous for its priestesses.

But upon Rin's arrival it felt more like a prison to her during the first term, with its harsh discipline and strict rules, and it hadn't helped its inmates initially had not taken to this odd and shy new girl, who apparently had no father and mother- not one that she knew, that is-and who, had it not been for some semi-rich patron, would have been a pauper. Rin had been a little too honest when answering the questions put to her by inquisitive peers, all of whom seemed to come from wealthy backgrounds; even those whose parents where divorced at least still had their parents. She also had no awareness of society's, particularly that of the young and callow variety, rule that anyone deemed different from itself is treated as an outsider and, in some special cases, as an outcast.

Rin had been given residence in one of the old rooms far away upstairs, when she had first moved in she had been disappointed, no more than disappointed. She had been unsettled by it and it had nothing to do with the layers of dust that muted everything within sight by a blanket of dusky muted colors, no nor the dank smell of emptiness. It was the absence she found hard to bear, the lack of presence that was not just having to do with her family's death; it was as if the very room, the school…its vibrancy, its warmth had all but vanished. Rin had felt strange within its walls and this confused her, and it also frightened her too. It was like being locked into a void. But Rin had soon made a close friend by the name of Sango, a priestess who was positioned in one of the higher castes but none the less was much forgoing than most of the snobbishly wealthy children. Breaking upon the priestess code of using the arrow and bow which was the norm, Sango upheld the school's title as being one of the first taijiya or demon slayers. She even wielded a very curious bone boomerang in which one of the high sister priestesses claimed "troublesome."

By then, Rin had also found some refuge in the most peculiar of all things. A statue, the oldest in the entire city. It was, like all the rest carved to depict a great dog, its tail intertwined about the figure of a tall man cladded in magnificent armor. His hair was put into a very medieval style atop his crown and he had two swords on his left hip, the third was in a sheath bond over his back. The details carved into the structures of his strong jaw line and high cheek bones were incredibly strong and well defined. He must have been very important. Rin soon came to find out that the statue was none other than the great lord Inu no Taisho.

Many old legends and stories claimed that the foundation of the city, its laws, and everything upheld in it was built in honor of the great Inu no Taisho who's great spirit was said to have once and still now ruled the entire coast, he guarded over both man and demon alike, and wielded the fangs of the honorable ruler. Rin had read about him in history class, the blades of the fang were thought to be myth, but three symbols of the fangs' given names were scripted into the very bottom pillar of the statue.

Many times, as of now Rin would sit before the statue and stare at it for hours. It had been closed off during nights of the full, new, and crescent moons for fear that demons would plague it. Theses phases were said to trigger some sort of compass, for it was said that the gates to the three worlds would open to each phase of the moon. A nigh when the veil's barrier was weakened and the boundaries to this world and all others were most accessible.

Now that Rin thought about it, she wondered if what she had read from the book was real. The book also claimed that the statue acted as some sort of dial pointing into the direction of the corresponding door that lead to the other side. The dog statue and its male counter part both faced straight north, which also symbolized the netherworld. If what she read was true then each symbol of the fang should point to the given world. Rin slowly crouched and shuffled around the statue, looking north she then looked down, and sure enough at its base lay the ancient kanji for Sou'unga. Tenseiga's kanji pointed due south, which mean heaven.

And lastly the kanji for Tetsusaiga pointed west which was right in front of her pointing to the school, perhaps either a mistake? No, it probably meant, for whoever had carved it meant to mean that the west was the Inu no Taisho's domain and that it had once protected those living here. After all, each fang's name corresponded to its namesake; Ten, Chi, and Gen. Heaven, Hell, and Man. It was rumored that they were the three fangs of world conquest, and having the power to dominate the three worlds. Tenkou Hadou no Sanken, Swords of an Honorable Ruler was imprinted at the very top of the three kanji letters. Well…at least it all looked like Kanji to Rin, after all the statue was said to be at least four thousand years old so no one really knew. Some of the lettering looked squiggly and out of place, whoever wrote it must have had small hands and probably was very old.

The whole story about the Inu no Taisho had her fascinated since the age of eight, Kaede often told her stories of "The phantom beast" and lots of other great and amazing tales. Rin had wanted to see it all, the veil, the demon burial grounds, everything! But now she sought comfort in the statue, her sad eyes looking up into those towering faint amber orbs that were carved into its sockets, sometimes she would come to speak to it to find some comfort. Although it never much responded back, but she found it reassuring nonetheless. It was then without thinking Rin began to climb. She climbed up the curling wispy tails of limestone and ascended to the great howling head. She was panting by the time she clasped her small hands about its jaw and looked down. The statue itself was twenty-four feet tall, and looking down Rin suddenly remembered what she had climbed up here exactly for, that and her fear of heights. Straddling her legs about the statue's mane of marble. Sighing Rin leaned her head upon the mane and stared at the sun's setting, she was then interrupted by Sango's high pitched call. "Oi! Rin chan!"

Rin blinked and lowered her head. "Hai!" Rin stared at Sango who was eating a sweet tart, but she greedily ate the rest of it in front of her and grinned. "You'd better come down, deserts are here!" Sango then grinned pulling her boomerang upon her back and running off. Rin laughed lightly and began her decent down the statue, her footing slipped as she roughly scrapped against the loose limestone. Gripping her fingers onto the mane she blinked and looked down, there was some hidden lettering. She slowly let her left foot go and clambered down a few all the while dusting away bits and pieces of debris and pulling away moss and dank vines that had corroded the statues lacquer setting. There was more lettering, so Rin began dusting more off until a great spiral of lettering swirled about the statue's back.

Rin blew the collecting dust aside and looked it over, the kanji was so very ancient. She licked her lips in concentration and planned to decipher it.

'_Father once told me that the hand of youkai are to protect,_

_Mother once told me that humans are the hand that nurtures…'_

Rin furrowed her dark brows. "The hand that protects…" Rin's mind began to pace back on her study of demonology. "The hand that protects…the hand of youkia…" She held up her left hand. She then looked to her right palm and held that one up as well. "Human, the hand that nurtures is your right."

'_When both hands are joined the door will open._

_From inside the crimson flames, thou is returned._

_We the children are the light that defends._

_The forbidden shall leave their vessel _

_The heirs shall be thrown out to hardship._

_Should open and benevolent a heart thy possess,_

_Thine hand shall be received here.'_

Rin blinked, her palms felt sweaty just a tad bit. In the very center of the spiral was a small puncture, looking up she faintly noticed the moon now was directly in her vision, its crescent shape glowing in the evening mists. Rin pressed her palm into the stone and gave a sharp cry as her fist sunk into the limestone which had now become almost translucent. Her hand went through it and a small fissure in the earth appeared, through it looked as if the sky had been reflected on the ground. Rin leaned over the statue's edge, it was now or never to get away from this horrible place, to seek adventure. Taking a deep breath she leapt off the statue's great head and plunged into the earth below which swallowed her up.

Falling through the sky onto the other side it seemed, Rin almost screamed as a great head of what looked like an oni zoomed by, the ogre demon head merely as all blinked at her and was gone in a trial of wispy white flames. Many more heads of other weird looking beings floated on by her before Rin was caught by the passing of a large bone structured bird. Rin would have thanked it but it was common sense to realize that a bird made entirely of bones was no longer living. Besides, birds were incapable of speech. That was when the bird decided to, very unceremoniously dump her, she cried out again perhaps for the tenth time in a row as she plummeted to her certain doom.

Was she falling…or was she dreaming?

'_**Rin sighed again. They had been walking now for five full hours without stop. She trudged through the snow, avoiding cracks in **_

_**the ice and the jagged forms of rocks.'**_

"Am I dead?"

'_**Then without notice, she tripped and fell against a deformed glacier. Kagesumo and his entourage didn't seem to notice as they continued on walking not noticing. She cried out in fierce pain, as the rock had not only pierced through her skin, but the flesh as well. This, in the icy conditions of the weather, caused the deep gash to turn purple and become inflamed, she winced and looked up; the three bandits were gone!'**_

"I must be dreaming…ah! My leg."

'_**All she could see was the drifting clouds of snow and white. "Hello…"she called out, but with no reply. She tried to move only to stumble backwards. Suddenly Rin's footing slipped and she fell, the only thing saving her was her fingertips, which were clutching on to the icy cliff. She knew she could hold on no longer, her fingers burned and had frostbite, and she was slipping.' **_

'No, _I cannot die…I have not even started my life yet!_'

She thought sullenly, and then the words of what her brother might have said came to mind '_it is not as if you were doing anything with it anyways!_'

'**_She tried to clear her mind of the thoughts, when a buzzard came and landed at her left hand side. It cocked its head dumbly to the right and began pecking at her cold bitten fingers. The sharp poking from the bird's beak caused her fingers to bleed. She managed to nudge her knees into the icy cliff, pulling her form up she gulped slowly. She finally managed to get over the cliff edge, the bird was still gawking at her so Rin whapped it fiercely in the beak causing it to squawk and flap off in search of easier prey to peck at. Sighing, Rin dusted her knees. Wincing she ripped some clothe and tied it about her wounded leg.'_**

Rin winced and sat up, her head throbbing, she slowly tried to sit up but she realized that part of that odd dream was real and had happened…well except for the Kagesumo part. She looked up and noticed a smoggy looking black liquid floating above her. If she had been crazy to say that the world had flipped and that the sky had become the lake and the lake the sky, she would have been called insane, but what she was staring at now was all too true. Holding her forehead she immediately realized everything, her ascent to the top of the dog statue. She fondly remembered last being chucked down a great pit. That and the fall.

Looking up Rin realized just how far this rabbit hole plunged, estimating in her head she was probably at least three miles below the surface, she only saw a very small dot which must be the very opening of the hole. Whoever dug this must have had plenty of time on their hands. She tried to peer through the darkness but that didn't help much. As her eyes began to adjust more to the darkness, she was shocked to notice a tunnel going due north. Rin began to understand now, the great hole she had fallen down must have once held a gondola or stairway downwards below the earth, and within must have been built numerous roads going in all directions and leading to who knows where. Rin made out a small crumbling brick of stairs jutting out from the side wall, clambering up she made her long ascend to the very pinnacle of the hole she had fallen through, but upon reaching the surface she was no longer in front of her school. No, now she was in the middle of woodland. Climbing out Rin began to walk through thick foliage, she wasn't in Goshinboku anymore…

Sunlight dappled forests floors and blades of grass clung with dew, the wind sprawled easing through crisp emerald leaves and emphasized the early waning sunlight. Not a bird uplifted from its perch and all eaves creaked from the on coming winter, a blustery wind assumed its place and wavered the boughs with its autumn presence. Gracing the very atmosphere in a light stream of winter's chill. But the sky had come to reside upon the moon's opaque façade, its whole face peered through the clouds in slight intent to bestow light unto the darkness. Everything seemed tranquil a calm like the still translucent form of a mirror's surface. Rin had been walking for hours, but it seemed more like days to her.

The night came upon her like a midnight travelers thrown cloak, unsheathing is great canopy of ebon black and silencing all within its midst. A soothing call from a nightingale inflicted the still night with its dismal song. Nearing the coastal shores Rin stared at the waves that thrashed with a fearsome threat and roared in anguish to the night's horrendous setting. The waves, they sprawled upon the sands and washed away urchins who were thrown unceremoniously to inland. Oh, the night was foreboding yet…and none dare to implore any kindness upon the dark atmosphere.

The sands quaked by great paws, still to echo in the still afterthought. A print left by a monstrous beast etched in its wake. Rin looked down, and a paw had her bare toes ensnared within its clawed grasps.

How dreadfully, utterly, boring… The dust cleared slowly above the horizon. Decaying filth of a desolate wasteland waited as the cliff tops parted, allowing the hallowed ground to be caressed by the feathery glimpses of the sun. But, alas it lasted for naught. Soon the thick smog defiled the rich warmth of the sun's rays, pushing back its kind and open prisms; engulfing them into a thick miasma so potent that not even a single bird could land upon a branch. A weed to grow. A lung to breath. The wind picked up greatly, giving the scene above a somewhat unnatural look. Like some evil had befallen the small desolate landscape below into a dark cloud of malice and evil. But something stood out. A regal ever baring figure, standing with an air that made him all the more aristocratic. Sesshomaru stood towering on his mid-day perch, always to look out over the barren city in which he was forced…like many other demons and half demons into isolation. Closing his eyes his thoughts were suspended from harsh cries.

"Run! Everyone run!" Demon men and woman screamed in high pitched yowls and frightened yelps. Sesshomaru was suddenly pulled upon forcefully by a gnarled old hand. He could not help but give a cold hearted disinterested sneer. But deep down he could not see his kind hurt this way. "Sesshomaru, quickly! We must abandon the crevice. The troops from Abi-Hime's forces have found us out! They will not spare the women and children!" Sesshomaru gazed unemotionally at the old ragged demon, whose brittle bones and paling flesh made him seem so ancient and wearisome than all the years he had known him.

"Totosai, do not be mistaken. This Sesshomaru will not run and hide like some filthy pathetic cockroach under a cement stone. Run if you wish, I care not." Sesshomaru tore his arm away and slowly moved upon his heel in one poised fluid motion and walked away. He didn't want to let Totosai see the hurt in his eyes even though his outward appearance portrayed nothing. "You stupid spoiled mutt! Just because your more powerful than the rest of us doesn't mean you can act all warped with your over huge ego and over spent sense of dignity! You owe us, fight! You made a promise! Your father made that promise!" Totosai stopped his foot in frustration and anger.

"Stop right there!"

Sesshomaru paused; a slow smirked played across his lips. They dare had the audacity to command him? Were they that full of themselves? Truly Abi-hime had granted her men too much indulgence, they certainly looked as if they could handle him, well they had reached an all time low. "Oh dear!" Totosai immediately ran for cover, his true nature of being defenseless and obviously useless in a time of need resurfaced. "Pathetic." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes in utter annoyance. "Your all talk old man."

"You there! White dog, where are you hiding the others! Surrender or we will eradicate you under the law's of Abi-hime's territories. You are not welcomed below borders!"

"Hmph…" Sesshomaru was standing with his back still turned and grimaced lightly when the troops could not think of a suitable rebuttal. What witticism. He truly found it amusing. The pathetic fools may have had genetic implants but they were nothing compared to a true fully fledged abomination of chaos like himself. Turning he raised his clawed hands and smirked rather coldly. He leapt into the air and dexterously flexed his sharp talons which gave a sick cracking noise as the joints and ligaments detached and regrouped. "Quick release the weapon now!" Quickly as if the wind had had a hand in their commission the soldiers pulled a heavy metallic latch upon the vehicle behind them. Within on a four wheeled carrier rolled out a huge black tankard looking cannon. It had wires attached to it and within the metallic casing was a strange white liquid. Sesshomaru halted at that moment in mid air, if one were to see it was extraordinary. Sesshomaru had leapt fully into the air but only to land heavily where he had picked up off the ground spraying sediments and rock everywhere.

Looking within he saw hundreds…no thousands, dear gods maybe more! Hundreds of clinging soul like parasites. Creatures whose souls had been ripped fully from their bodies and manipulated into some chi powered energy sucking force tankard. Obviously not only did this weapon appear to sap the very essence of its victims but fed on the souls for a source of power as well. "Disgusting, Abi hime has weapons feeding off both demon and human souls. How filthy." With that Sesshomaru pulled his claws back and lashed out a venomous green whip. One soldier hadn't even seen it coming, his stomach was torn apart in an instant, and the glowering green whip lashed out and then came from behind. Hitting him so forcefully in his head that his brain was melted in an instant. It all seeped out in an oozing fluid from his noise and ears, before his fleshy body…or what was left collapsed to the ground.

"You bastard!" A soldier from his rear charged with a renewed ferocity and anger, his gun held high to seemingly thrash him with. Sesshomaru graceful leapt, positioning his left footing on his own whip. It served as a balancing beam to hold him over his attacker, moving his hand upwards and fro he was swerved about on the whip. His hand and arm arched for a direct blow. "Poison flower claw." His claws tore through the man's upper abdominal and tore the upper half completely off which by the way melted to nothing from the deadly toxins. His spleen was left to spray his gore in washing rain droplets of crimson. Sesshomaru landed easily onto his feet and played a smirk across his lips again. What he didn't realize was that his poison had melted through the cannon.

The souls seeped out, exuding from their metallic prison to escape its confines. Set free and able to find their peace, at least from this life. He took a step back only to be stung viciously. He winced and watched as his flesh began to regenerate. Taking a good look over his shoulder, the powerful demon turned about on his heel with a very mysterious grace. The mists parted allowing a small figure to step forth. Sesshomaru would have laughed if it were not for an inflicting needle imbedded into his flesh, melting his surrounding skin which tried to regenerate around it only for the process to be repeated once more.

Standing before him a child clothed half nude in shrouded white silks scrutinized him with cold amethyst orbs. The mere albino child stared back, returning the stoical demon's ruthless glare. Sesshomaru huffed and smirked, a raised clawed glowered with a heavy smog of poison green vapor. "Who are you…one of Abi-hime's dogs?" His words were a calm interrogation but none too probing. The child entity smirked and casually faulted before returning a wicked smile of his own. Slowly, a gleaming pike was exposed from the deteriorating mists. "Ku! Abi-hime. I do no such thing, I am Hakudoushi. Naraku's incarnation." The boy looked him over, his purple orbs finding him somewhat lacking it seemed. Sesshomaru lowered his clawed hands in a quizzical scowl. "Naraku?" Sesshomaru echoed the demon-child's leveled tone. Hakudoushi's lips slowly eased into a sly smile, it wasn't a very kind sight. "Have you not heard of him?"

Hakudoushi took a small step forwards, his pike trembled in slowly skittish circles, his beady purple orbs watched the demon before him with a bloodlust that practically exuded from his flesh and pores. Hakudoushi's cruel smile slipped a tad bit wider and curled at the seams in a grinch like way. "They say you are the most powerful demon in these parts…is that not true? Or do Abi-hime's lies deceive me?" A glint from the pike's edge flickered in the sudden stream of the sun's rays.

"What is your intent."

Those golden orbs narrowed into dark slits of lucid crimson.

"I want your head…" Hakudoushi drawled, the sadistic nature in his impure voice lashed out like grating chalk on board.

"I'll skin you alive."

**Author's note: Whoa, another cliff hanger, I can't keep doing this. Any who, the story's moving along…slowly but surely. Man so many character backgrounds to incorporate, Abi and Yuuki. Whoa, this is getting good. I'm getting a bit too excited about this story. Well let's make this next chapter all the more delicious, Kagura's gonna butt in for a few. And the notoriously deviant Abi hime takes center stage. And the most exciting jaw dropping drool maker Sesshomaru vs. Hakudoushi, it doesn't get any better than this. I always wanted to see them fight in the series since Hakudoushi and Sesshomaru are considered the most powerful demons in the entire show. I couldn't help it. Well stay tuned for the next chapter! Reviews and comments are welcomed thank you! **


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